Soft Distractions (Critical Role, Essek)

[RiversD]

Okay, I wrote 95% of this a long, long time ago so it is now pretty AU, but I figured I might as well finish it, right? Aftermath of an imaginary adventure in the general timezone of 2x79 and 2x80, ft. One Floaty Boi. No plans to continue this, it's just what it is.

 

“Ah, Herr Thelyss, please come in.”

Caleb held the door open for Essek, doing his best to feign ignorance of his three friends currently lounging in the hallway hot tub. Behind him, Beau waved.

“Hey, Essek!”

“Hi, Essek!”

“Oh? Oh, yeah. Hi.”

Essek’s gaze skimmed over the little group and back to Caleb, whose ears had turned a powerful shade of pink.

“Your group seems somewhat more relaxed than the last time I visited. Should I take it that your latest excursion went well?”

“Yes, ah… I apologise for my friends, we are all a little tired, and-”

“There is no need. If they are not uncomfortable, it is not for me to judge.”

“You can come and soak with us if you like!”

Jester rolled over in the water and propped her elbows on the edge of the tub. Essek graced her with a brief half-smile, but shook his head.

“Thank you, but I have a great deal of work to get back to. I appreciate the offer, nonetheless.”

“Oh, you’re welcome, it’s whatever.”

Caleb cleared his throat.

“Would you like to come through to the library? There are seats and, ah, fewer distractions, maybe?”

Essek nodded, serene as ever.

“Lead on. I am content wherever you wish to speak.”

Caleb did so, grateful to be moving to a more comfortable environment.

“You have had a success, then?” Essek probed as he floated gracefully in Caleb’s wake.

“To be honest with you, we are all glad to have escaped with our lives. The lands to the west held greater threats than we had anticipated. Nevertheless, we believe that the information we have gained brings us closer to achieving the goal you entrusted us with.”

“This would be the location of the stolen beacon?”

Essek followed Caleb into the library and closed the door behind them.

“Yes. We encountered a being who referred to himself as The Oracle in Darkness. Is the name familiar to you?”

“Not immediately, though there are a number of beings who- oh…”

The break in Essek’s speech made Caleb turn to watch him, thinking that perhaps the Shadowhand had made a connection. Essek appeared more distracted than enlightened, however. Slight furrows ran across his brow, gathering to a knot between his eyes. His eyes were half-closed, as though he was trying to calculate something, and his lips were very slightly parted.

“Something is wrong?” Caleb asked.

Essek shook his head. He raised both hands to his face, making a half-hearted attempt to explain as he did so.

“I- hah-” Essek squinted helplessly at Caleb for a moment, then sneezed into the steeple of his hands.

“hh’essschh’huh!”

It was a soft, breathy sound, but the effort behind it still bent Essek at the waist and caused him to drift back a few inches.

Caleb blinked. “Oh. Gesundheit.”

Essek righted himself with a soft sniff, looking somewhat abashed.

“Thank you. Please excuse me. You were saying something?”

“Ah, yes. We believe we have a lead on the traitor who gifted this beacon to the Empire.”

“You are convinced there was a traitor, then?”

Essek floated demurely to a chair beside the desk, watching for Caleb’s response with renewed interest. Caleb sat down opposite him.

“It is certainly looking more likely than any of the alternatives.”

Essek ran a quick finger up and down the left side of his nose. He nodded. “I think so too. What evidence do you have?”

“A Bugbear who swears he was approached by a drow who wanted him to carry a confidential package towards Felderwin, though he cannot now remember details of this individual’s face or dress. He claims that he was too wise to take the offer, and on the whole we believe his story.”

Essek was leaning forward now. “Did he return with you? If so, there are some people who I would like to introduce to him.”

“Sadly not, but we have taken steps so that we will know if he leaves his town in the next few days. We can give his location to those who you believe should have it, but we should be cautious. We could very easily endanger him if we are loose with this information.”

“Of course.” Essek nodded. “That will be good enough, I think. Thank you, this will help me a good deal.”

Caleb shrugged under the compliment. “We here know that you are under some pressure over our situation. We are grateful to you for all that you continue to do for us.”

“I believe that your group is of great value to the Dynasty. It is good to have you close. What is your next move?”

“We are headed to Nicodranus. We are hoping to find an ally there who may be able to assist us against these demonic portals and the Laughing Hand. We believe that we can move against those forces much faster if he proves to be sound.”

“Good. That matter becomes daily more urgent, all the more so since the threat grows where we cannot see it. I wish you luck.”

Essek leaned back, considering Caleb across the desk.

“I did come prepared to share another useful little spell with you, if you have the time tonight?”

“Of course.” Caleb reached for his spellbook, trying not to seem as eager as he felt. “We cannot leave until tomorrow at the earliest. I would gladly learn more from you.”

“Excellent.”

Essek withdrew his own tome from its extradimensional pocket. He stood and pulled his chair around the desk, so that he could sit next to Caleb and supervise his copying of the spell. Their sleeves brushed and Caleb politely shuffled over a little so that he would not be pressing against the man as he wrote.

Essek spread his spellbook open on the table, shielding the right-hand page from view with his sleeve.

“This spell may be of use if you and your companions need to transport something heavy, although it need not be so dramatic. I have often used it to make it easier to transport large books from storage. It can be cast as a ritual if you have time, which makes the energy saving all the more efficient.”

Caleb nodded. “It looks to be a gravitational effect, ja?”

“Yes, reducing the force of gravity upon a single object for approximately 4 hours. You can release the spell earlier, of course, or cast it again.”

“Of course. Can one control the degree to which gravity is reduced?”

“To an extent. You cannot actually cause the item to float, though there are other spells that can produce such a result.”

“Yes, I know of some. Thank you, this will be very useful to know.”

“Carry on, then.”

Caleb bent over his book, taking care to glance regularly at the page he was copying from despite having memorised its contents before he had even begun to write. He fell into a steady rhythm as his copying progressed, dipping his pen into the ink, making a few careful strokes and repeating the process. It was peaceful, made oddly more so by the Shadowhand’s silent stillness at his elbow. He found his own breathing falling into a matching rhythm with Essek’s, possibly reflecting an unconscious desire to filter out any sense of a separate presence intruding into the comfortable silence of his thoughts.

Deep in concentration as he was, it came as something of a shock when the immersion was broken by a sharp intake of breath from his right.

“hh!”

The sound sent a faint electric jolt through Caleb’s chest, arresting his pen mid-stroke. Mastering himself again, he lifted the pen safely off the page and looked up to interrogate the source of the disruption.

Essek had raised both hands to cover the lower part of his face and was breathing cautiously behind them. His eyes were closed, pale lashes trembling above sharp cheekbones as his body finally made up its mind to sneeze. The book-fold of his fingers tightened, his chest expanding with a heady breath, and he ducked down close to the table with another gently desperate exhalation.

“hih- eh’schhhiuh!”

The frown-lines deepened between Essek’s eyes for a moment as he squinted across his peaked fingers, wretchedly unsatisfied until a second, more spirited sneeze brought him to relief.

“hhd’ssschhiuh!”

Essek sniffed cautiously in the muzzy aftermath of that one, then relaxed his taut posture with a carefully measured sigh. He lowered his hands, pressing one lightly to his chest.

“Excuse me. I apologise.”

“There is no need. Is something troubling you?”

Essek flashed Caleb a brief, thin smile.

“Nothing that will not quickly pass. But I thank you for the concern.”

“Oh.” Caleb swallowed, not sure whether he ought to drop the conversation there. “Well, if you are certain…”

“It is nothing,” Essek repeated. He made a small gesture towards the books on the table. “Please, go on with your work. I will do my best not to interrupt you again.”

 

[MidnightCatK]

Love me some Essek, and you truly did him justice!